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Travel/Visit

While traveling last weekend, I had occasion to visit Tulsa’s Philbrook Museum. Lovely little museum in a big old house. A snazzy contemporary yarn installation in the rotunda by HOT TEA led to this great picture by my friend Gretchen:

As I posted on Instagram, it’s always worthwhile to go to a new art museum anyplace you are. Whether you’re visiting a cultural hub like New York or DC (or Paris or Rome) or are in a smaller place, you will learn quite a few new things. I was reminded by the one John Singer Sargent painting in the museum that he really had the goods: Continue reading →

My son and I once checked a book out from the library, “Matisse, King of Color” by Laurence Anholt. We both loved it instantly – though of course I had guided the selection among a few artists in the series, Matisse is a favorite of mine. It tells the back story of how Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence came to be, with beautiful illustrations inspired by the artist. (Now that I’ve most of the rest of the series, it still holds up as one of the best.) After checking it out a few times, I suggested to grandma that it would be a good Christmas present.

Last night as we read the story for the Nhundredth time, it occurred to me that we could take Cash to that place, so he knows that it’s a real story. Continue reading →

I had over 100 FB friends marching in 30+ cities around the USA in 22 states on Friday and Saturday.

In Austin, the crowd was about 50,000, quite likely the biggest-ever gathering at the Texas capital. (Second to about 25K at a UT anti-Vietnam war protest 40 years prior.) My mom said the Fort Worth rally was 6000+ after only being announced on Monday and with options all around, Denton, Dallas, etc.

It is so, so cool to hear all these huge numbers, and to have been there. Continue reading →

Thanksgiving: Louisiana with my mom’s side of the family. Way fun, would do again. We love VRBO for these kinds of gatherings, more flexible and kitchen-y.

Spent a day in New Orleans, had a great meal and went to the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. After ending up at the Contemporary Art Center 4 hours too early for that day’s showing of Christian Marclay’s THE CLOCK. Maaaajor disappointment for me, as I’d missed it twice in NYC.

So I’ve been doing a ton of reading and sort of trying not to think that much these days. Christmas in Arlington, visiting with cousin & fam in town from North Carolina, then a VERY chill New Year’s Eve in Waco.

UUWF is a partner of the Women’s March on Washington! Affiliated Minister Marti Keller will be there, and I’m planning to be in Austin for the Texas state capitol sister march. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a protest and I’m pretty excited.

Coming up in the Waco art scene:
Joel Edwards show opens at Art Center Waco on Thursday, Jan. 19. Can’t wait, he is a very talented artist and a super nice guy.Deep in the Heart Film Festival in February – which I will unfortunately miss because it’s the same weekend as the Convocation.
Top Young Artist exhibitions from March 1-18 at Studio Gallery, then at The Art Center from March 23 (Award Ceremony & Opening Reception that evening) to April 15. And last but certainly not least, is Art on Elm on Saturday April 8! We’re switching websites for simplicity – now at artonelm.org. Here’s a little history of the event that I wrote, and I want to dig more into the history of the area for another post.

On a Thursday in November, I got picked up at home very early in the morning by my colleague in an unusually low-key car for her. We were on our way to a Texas Public Art Administrators meeting in San Antonio. It was so good to meet people in a specific realm of the arts, and they came from a variety of places and agencies: San Antonio Public Art of course, but also Love Field (an airport), Houston Airports, San Antonio River Authority, etc. Most are city-funded, others included a library with a public art program and no dedicated staff. It was two days after the election and we were all able to tell each other about our local places and not worry about national affairs for the day.

After lunch we met up at a newly re-done park called Yanaguana Garden, which was spectacular. The play structures were huge and wonderful, like nothing I’d ever seen, and there was art all over. We learned that in addition to the large, stunning mosaic sculptures by Oscar Alvarado, were 6 more artworks from the public art exhibition “Play” at Hemisfair, brought together by lead artist Stuart Allen, who led a tour of the park to talk about working with the city and the artists to make ideas reality.

When I first knew I’d go to grad school, I wasn’t sure what for. I just knew that my brand new BA in Art History from a state school that most people outside the state have never heard of wasn’t going to get me far.

A few years after finishing undergrad working at a doctor’s office, I was feeling a little antsy and got an idea. I wanted to start a community arts center. To me museums were (and are) like church. Spiritual, contemplative places that are technically open to everyone but lots of people who may appreciate art do not feel at home there. I wanted to bridge the gap between the Art Institution and the person who could benefit from making or being around art (ahem, everyone). I started to explore graduate programs. To get into communities, to connect with people, you go through the kids. My plan was to have after school art classes, maybe in a building where there are studios behind and common areas in front. Give artists discounts or free rent for teaching art classes to the kids.

So I looked at art education programs – I would learn all about arts education, while also looking into nonprofit management on my own. Then, to my surprise & joy, The Ohio State University’s huge, excellent Art Education Department contained a program called “Arts Administration.” This is a thing! I found others and applied to 4 Art Administration programs (NYU, Ohio State, Indiana, and Oregon) and University of Texas’s Art Ed program.

I talked to friends and family about the idea, they all had input about what sorts of arts would need to be in a proper community arts center. ALL of them! Continue reading →

Through a fun grapevine of New York professionals & friends, I got connected with a graphic artist named Luodvic Balland to help with publicity for his project Day After Reading. Balland is traveling with a team of journalists, historians and supporters to interview people about the news. What is your earliest memory of the news? How do you get your news? etc. They started in New York City, went to Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis (where they got to be on the Washington University (aka WUSTL) campus during the debate that was also held there.

Now, I am helping to arrange interviews around the country, an exciting, fast-paced job for someone in a small town. I’ve gotten to speak to folks all around the country to see if they or a colleague or friend could be interviewed. Julie from Robert’s in Nashville is THE best! Jesse Lee Jones has a great story to tell, and I bet Julie does too.